Exploring consumers' product‐specific colour meanings

Abstract

PurposeThe impact of colour is acknowledged, yet empirical studies on colours with marketing implications are rare. The paper seeks to advance our understanding of the role of package colours in consumers' product experiences by studying the relationship between colour meanings and product. It also aims at offering insights into the meanings associated with colours in a product context.Design/methodology/approachUnderstanding of package colours was elicited by applying the preference‐consumption difference interview technique. The data were analysed applying means‐end chain. Accordingly, it was possible to detect, not only the multifunction played by package colours, but also meanings that colours conveyed at different abstraction level. As colour research within marketing was fragmented and no such colour theory exists, the paper developed a theoretical framework for the paper.FindingsBased on the evidence, the proposed framework is further elaborated so that it could better capture the connections between colour and consumers' product experiences. Hence, the paper supports the significance of the functions emphasised by past research and uncovers the qualitative connections between packages colour meanings and product type.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should extend the size of the sample, types of products, geographical area, and colours.Practical implicationsThe evidence shows that colours should be carefully considered when launching new brands or, indeed, when brand packages are redesigned, the multifunction of colours should be taken into consideration.Originality/valueThe paper covers an area neglected by past research, which has implications for understanding consumers' brand preferences.

Packaging Fun: Analyzing Supermarket Food Messages Targeted at Children

“…Colour in package design is a critical means of both attracting attention (Grimes & Doole, 1998) and generating sensory expectations (Ares & Deliza, 2010). Colour is the first package cue noticed by consumers (Kauppinen-raisanen & luomala, 2010) and can work to increase brand recognition by up to 80% (Color Marketing Group, n.d.). For these reasons, packages were coded for their dominant and secondary colours.…”

“…blue equally connotes "coolness" (birren, 1961), a logical explanation for its prevalence in the Dairy, refrigerated/Frozen Foods, and Frozen Desserts categories. yellow, which ranked second as a primary colour for packaging (and the top secondary colour used), also is expected, since vivid colours such as yellow (and red) have a high capacity to attract attention (Kauppinen-raisanen & luomala, 2010). the "conspicuity" of these colours (Green, 2001) makes them an excellent choice for encouraging point-of-purchase sales.…”

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“…Moreover, choosing isolated colour samples from design resources and then applying these decisions to real design outcomes is a widely used approach by design professionals 1,9 . 14 .…”

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